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Fire officials brushing up

By Jordan Tillery, jtillery@sentinelandenterprise.com

Updated:
04/25/2016 08:27:37 AM EDT

WESTMINSTER -- What happens when dry weather conditions, high wind speeds and open burning season are mixed? Brush fires, which have been sweeping across North Central Massachusetts, fire officials said.

Open burning season began Jan. 15 and ends May 1. But because of the state's lack of precipitation, low humidity and strong winds, many communities have issued red-flag warnings for the majority of the past two weeks, prohibiting the distribution of burning permits.

"The past couple days it has been extremely dry," said Capt. Kyle Butterfield, of the Westminster Fire Department, last week. "There hasn't been much rainfall, and that has contributed, along with the wind.

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The town has not only fought multiple fires within its borders, but has also come to the aid of surrounding communities for the past couple of weeks.

The state's unseasonably dry winter contributed to the burning conditions. During a year of average snowfall and rain, the ground contains more moisture.

Last year's historic snowfall caused a spike in brush fires in May due to delayed snow melt, below-average precipitation and unusually high temperatures in May, State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey said.

The five-year average of brush fires in April is 1,211 versus 1,067 in May. Last year, there were 3,000 reported brush fires in May.

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April is usually the most common month for brush fires, according to the state Department of Fire Services, and recently local fire departments have been feeling the heat.

Westminster fire officials fought a 2-acre brush fire a half-mile into the woods on Bean Porridge Hill Road last week with assistance from the state and Ashburnham Fire Department. The cause was an unattended campfire, Butterfield said.

He said that even though the town Fire Department has only responded to four reports of brush fires, officials have come to the aid of other communities.

The department helped fight a 10-acre and another 6-acre brush fire in Barre last week, he said.

Westminster also helped the Gardner Fire Department fight a 3-acre fire that started on Betty Spring Road and spread up the hill to Bickford Hill Road.

Gardner has had multiple brush fires break out in the city, with more than one on Betty Spring Road. On Friday, the city called in aid from a number of surrounding towns, including Westminster and Ashburnham, to fight 2 acres of fire moving quickly around Betty Spring Road and Olde Colonial Drive.

Depending on location, fighting a brush fire is a "routine procedure" unless accessing a water source or the fire itself is difficult, Gardner fire Lt. Craig Osowski said. The reason mutual aid is called is for more manpower to extinguish the perimeter of the fire, he said.

It's crucial to knock out the fires efficiently because of the nature of the fire. Surface fires, fueled by dry leaves, grasses and fallen branches, spread quickly, said Patricia Correia, fire warden for North Worcester County.

Widespread fires could also have an impact on forests.

The state Department of Conservation and Recreation warned residents last week of the effects these fires could have on the environment.

"Wildland fires can have lasting impacts on the ecology of a forest, which will detrimentally change the way state land is managed for public use," said Peter Church, DCR director of forest stewardship. "While we encourage the public to get outside and enjoy nature, we ask that everybody remains conscious of the elevated risk of starting a wildland fire."

There are many causes of brush fires including campfires or smoking implements that were not completely put out, Correia said, but the main cause are permitted fires.

In most communities around the state, opening burning is allowed with a permit for brush and forestry debris, tree pruning and agricultural land clearing until May 1.

When open burning season comes to an end in a few weeks, Osowski said, the department could see a small decease in the number of brush fires.

"It's not until we have a heavy downpour that we'll start to see a large decrease," he said. "Until then it's very dangerous."

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